


I Need That Fire

by eyessharpweaponshot



Series: Chopped: The 100 Fanfic Challenge [1]
Category: The 100 (TV), The 100 Series - Kass Morgan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Chopped: The 100 Fanfic Edition, Elf Clarke, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Human Bellamy, Kissing in the Rain, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Round 1, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 20:00:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18239549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eyessharpweaponshot/pseuds/eyessharpweaponshot
Summary: A Bellarke fic where the Elves and the Humans are at opposite ends of an alliance - but love is found at the border, a secret that has blossomed without them even realizing it.Written for Round 1 of Chopped: The 100 Fanfic Challenge.1st place winner for the use of the trope ‘Kiss In The Rain’.Thank you all so much for voting.





	I Need That Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Fic title from the song 'Until We Go Down' by Ruelle. It's actually from The Shannara Chronicles which inspired the idea for the Elves in this fic as well as Lord of The Rings.
> 
>  _Written for Round 1 (fluff) in Chopped: The 100 Fanfic Challenge._  
>  Mandatory prompts/tropes to include:  
> 1\. one half of pairing is a mythical creature  
> 2\. coffee shop au  
> 3\. person A teaches person B how to do something, with physical contact  
> 4\. kissing in the rain

The Elves were always a quiet nation.

They never bothered the human race, not once in over a hundred years. They have their place of residence in Shallow Valley, a mountainous area above Arkadia, and they stay there. Bellamy can see the top of their hills from his house, depending on his angle in the back garden.

Children are taught the history of their race in school, how humans and Elves once fought side by side in the Great War, but that alliance is long forgotten. Now, the treaty that stands is the Elves have claim to Shallow Valley and the border stretches for over two hundred miles. The humans have the rest.

Bellamy imagined it a lot as a child, what it would be like to cross the border into the Elven Kingdom, but it’s a dream and nothing more. Any human caught crossing the imaginary line faces execution from the Elven council, no exceptions.

It works that way down here, too - if they’re caught. The human’s don’t bother patrolling the border and definitely don’t bother searching for Elves within the town limits - mainly because the Elves are known as a pretentious civilisation. They’re too good to be seen in any human establishments.

Bellamy has seen some drawings of them in his school books and even imagined what they look like numerous times in his 23 years but no human alive knows for sure what form the Elves take, what makes them different to their own race. Yet, when Bellamy sees one for the first time, he’s under no illusions that an Elf is exactly what she is.

It’s a Thursday afternoon - quiet in terms of orders in Forest Coffee Shop - so, when the bell over the door signals Bellamy to a pretty girl walking in, he has the time to notice. She’s not as tall as he thought the Elven people would be but she is one all the same. He knows that they have extended ears that point at the top, leaf-like, but this girl is wearing a purple beanie hat that covers hers - _clever_.

He can’t quite put his finger on how he knows it but the longer he studies her, the more details that scream ‘Elf’ to him.

Her blonde hair is long, falling in soft waves down her back. The skin on her face is so pure - the only word he can think of to describe how flawless it looks, even though she’s not wearing a scrap of makeup. He guesses that she should only be a few years or so younger than him but he knows Elves hardly age at all - so that’s sort of up in the air.

Now the question is, what is she doing in a human settlement when it’s so obviously against their laws?

Bellamy takes a breath, tries not to fall over himself as he rounds the counter where they keep the scones and pastries and makes his way over to her table by the window. As he gets closer, he notices her nervous behaviour. She’s not very good at being inconspicuous.

‘Hello’ he greets her but furrows his brow in uncertainty afterwards - do the Elves just speak Elvish or can they speak English as well? The Elf looks up at him and a wide smile comes across her face, just adding to her beauty.

‘Hi’ she replies and Bellamy’s features relax. Up close, he can see how blue her eyes are - like exotic waters, as bright as the light of stars on a clear night. She’s beautiful.

‘What can I get you?’ Bellamy stutters out after a moment too long but she doesn’t notice, she’s too busy trying to cover herself. That much is obvious - she has absolutely no idea what to order. Bellamy reckons they don’t have many coffee shops in Shallow Valley. He can’t imagine the great ancient Elves adopting modernised living up in the mountains. ‘I make a great hazelnut latte?’ He gives her a save and she takes it, nodding as her expression eases.

The aroma of making coffee is something Bellamy never gets sick of and he loves working here - even though his boss, Shumway, can be a bit of a pain sometimes. He’s practiced, barely having to even look at the machine when he’s prepping orders now and so, when he places the cup of coffee with a leaf design in front of the Elf, it extracts a massive grin from her.

‘Looks great’ she says, uncertain because it’s clear she has no idea what it is. ‘Thank you.’

Bellamy is the only person working today because Thursday isn’t exactly busy here, and considering there’s only an old man reading a newspaper at the other end of the shop, Bellamy takes the liberty of sitting down in front of this girl he’s so eager to learn more about.

‘I’ve never seen an Elf before’ he blurts out before he can catch himself, feeling immediately pathetic for doing so. Her eyes jump to his, widening in what he thinks is fear. ‘No, don’t be afraid’ he puts his hands up in an effort to reassure her. ‘I’m Bellamy - Bellamy Blake.’

‘Clarke Griffin’ she replies after a second, watching him with caution. ‘Am I that obvious?’

‘Can’t really see your ears with your hat covering them - but a few other things gave you away, yeah.’

‘Like what?’

‘Well,’ Bellamy leans back in his chair, watching how Clarke gazes at him. ‘Your clothes still have tags on them from wherever you snagged them from.’

She glances down, picking up the price label sticking out from her blue jeans. The purple hoodie she’s wearing has one too and he can’t imagine the white Converse on her feet are without stickers either. The Elves hardly have stores like American Apparel up in the mountains. He guesses all of their attire is handmade, stitched like a fine art. It’s no wonder that Clarke wouldn’t think to remove the tags of the clothes she stole in an effort to fit in amongst the humans.

‘You had no idea what to order here and judging by your expression when you take a sip, you’ve never tasted coffee before’ Bellamy says, watching as she pauses when the cup reaches her lips.

‘It’s awful’ she admits, making a face as she puts the cup back down and Bellamy laughs. ‘Why do you drink this?’

‘You get used to it’ he chuckles, watching her with pure and utter interest. He’s dying to ask a million questions but hell, he doesn’t even know the girl.

‘You don’t exactly look like what I expected from humans, either’ she retorts and Bellamy cocks his head, inviting in an explanation as he folds his arms. ‘You don’t look as weak as I was told’ she starts and Bellamy can only laugh again.

Goddamnit, this girl makes him smile. Definitely pretentious beings, the Elves. Bellamy’s arm muscles are big because he works out whenever he can, adding to his broad shoulders and wide chest. Not weak by a long shot.

‘You don’t have hair on your face, either’ Clarke continues. The way she speaks is like she was raised like this - to be confident and strong enough to own the room when called upon.

‘You mean a beard?’

‘Yeah, all of the drawings I’ve seen of men are ones where they’re sporting beards’ Clarke rubs her hand over her chin as if to show him where one would go. ‘And you have dots on your face. Those were never in any drawings.’

‘Freckles?’ Bellamy clarifies. He’s not really surprised the Elves don’t recognise them - if the rest of them look like Clarke, he imagines their skin is so clear that they don’t even have a blemish or a fine line in sight.

‘What are they?’ Clarke nods, leaning forward as if to get a better view. He has a lot of them, dancing across his nose and cheeks. He doesn’t know how to describe them exactly so he just settles with the first thing that comes to mind.

‘Kisses from the sun.’

‘I like that’ Clarke smiles, sinking back into her seat once more. Bellamy ducks his head, shy all of a sudden. He knows that there’s a blush forming on his face, he just hopes she doesn’t notice. ‘Your hair is messy, though. That’s what I expected.’

‘My hair is a spectacle’ Bellamy opens his mouth in false hurt and now, it’s his turn to make Clarke laugh. Her entire face lights up, making her beauty shine from every pore. He’s a little proud that he could make that happen. He scrubs a hand through his dark curls, making a show of trying to comb them into submission which only makes her laugh more.

A comfortable silence drops over the table and the two of them, a human and an Elf, just stare at one another for a few moments.

‘Please don’t tell anyone’ her long eyelashes flicker, glancing from the cup to his eyes and back again. ‘I know the humans don’t want Elves in their settlement.’

‘Elves don’t really want humans in theirs, either’ Bellamy replies.

‘I know’ Clarke shrugs one shoulder, fidgeting with a packet of sugar that she’s taken from the bowl in the middle of the table. ‘I just needed to get out of Shallow Valley for a few hours, away from the responsibility and the expectations.’

‘We have those down here, too’ Bellamy smirks.

‘Not ones that apply to me - not unless somebody tells that I’m here’ she raises her eyebrows at him, a challenge if nothing else. Bellamy rolls his eyes in a playful manner, amused by this rare interaction. Who knew Elves had a sense of humour with all that seriousness they are meant to carry?

‘I won’t tell’ he promises, a soft smile on his lips. ‘As long as you come back and give this whole coffee experience another try.’

It’s a cheap effort to see her again but Bellamy can’t help himself - he wants to know her, wants to learn more about her kind and their ways.

It’s Clarke’s turn to smirk now, holding eye contact with him for what seems like forever.

‘Deal.’

 

-

 

Clarke does come back.

Not every day, but at least every second one. Sometimes, Bellamy is too busy to talk to her but she stays, patiently waiting until he gets his break or until Forest Coffee Shop is quiet enough so that he can sit with her. It’s getting to the point now where Bellamy is dying to come to work just so he can see her - he even takes up extra shifts in case Clarke would show up unannounced.

When he catches sight of her long, blonde hair coming through the door, his heart leaps in his chest - he’s so excited to see her time and time again and it makes him feel like a little kid. The butterflies don’t take long to arrive after that, setting his stomach alight with their flutters.

Nobody else seems to notice that she’s not one of them, especially considering she’s spending so much time with Bellamy. Miller, Bellamy’s friend and co-worker, keeps to himself and doesn’t really pry. He just thinks she’s an out of towner, a tourist in their quaint little home.

Before Bellamy knows it, it’s been two months and he’s learned a lot about Elven culture. He wasn’t far wrong with what he imagined - an almost royal nation, governed under a Queen ruler. They are generally peaceful folk with no interest in war or politics unless absolutely necessary.

She tried teaching him some Elvish language but he couldn’t grasp it, couldn’t even curl his tongue enough to pronounce it properly. Still, he finds it interesting.

Clarke, herself, is more interesting though. She finds everything fascinating and loves learning about the human ways more than Bellamy loves learning about the Elves. She’s funny and clever, way more mature than Bellamy was at nineteen. They sit and talk whenever they get the chance, not daring to venture outside the coffee shop in fear that she’d be recognised as an Elf.

She has a direct pathway down from the hills which she sticks to, assuring Bellamy that she never meets anyone on the route. Forest Coffee Shop is the first thing she comes to at the edge of town, so she’s in little danger of running into anyone of real authority.

‘I kind of like this, now’ Clarke announces one Sunday evening as she takes another gulp of her hazelnut latte.

‘It is an acquired taste’ Bellamy agrees in the seat opposite her. All of the other chairs are on top of the tables from Bellamy washing the floor and the door is locked, the _‘closed_ ’ sign firmly stating that business hours are over. Now, he finally has time to sit down with his new friend that’s been waiting for him to finish up all day.

‘We definitely have nothing like this back in Shallow Valley’ she states, meeting his eyes once more. Bellamy’s heart jumps when they connect - an involuntary reaction that his brain took no part in. She sets his skin on fire and honestly, Bellamy knows he’s falling for her.

He’s only been in love once before, a high school romance with a girl long gone from Arkadia - but now, that love seems so weak and fragile in comparison. Clarke is different, different in a way beyond being another race. She makes him feel alive, heard and important - she comes back here to see him and only him. It’s a risk to both of their safeties - if she’s caught, Bellamy will also be held responsible for accommodating an outsider in their town.

But damn, it’s worth the risk.

She’s like an abyss, something Bellamy can keep pouring himself into again and again. Clarke Griffin stole his heart without even knowing it was in her pocket.

‘Bellamy?’ She breaks him out of his train of thought. ‘What you thinking so hard about?’ She smirks, swirling her coffee around with a teaspoon.

‘Oh’ Bellamy straightens himself. ‘I was just wondering why you would want to leave Shallow Valley. It doesn’t sound bad’ he covers.

‘It’s not’ she shrugs, buying the lie. ‘My mother, she…’ Clarke takes a breath, blowing it out slow as if trying to gather her thoughts. ‘She just expects a lot from me that I’m not willing to give yet.’

‘Yet?’ Bellamy furrows his brow, curiosity overriding the feeling in his chest now. Clarke is quiet in response, staring at her coffee. Bellamy is too good at reading people and he knows she doesn’t want to talk about it, he shouldn’t pry. She comes here to escape after all, to spend time with him. ‘Hey, why don’t I show you how to make one?’ He offers the distraction and Clarke’s blue eyes bounce back to his brown ones, excitement in them.

‘A coffee?’

‘Yeah’ Bellamy beckons her towards the machine, standing as he does so.

Clarke follows with enthusiasm and even whips off her beanie when she’s at the counter. They’re closed and the blinds are down - nobody will see her features that clearly distinguish her as an Elf. It’s the first time Bellamy is really seeing her ears though and he’s amazed at their shape. She must sense him staring because she blushes, curling her hair behind them with her fingers so he can get a better look.

‘They’re funny looking compared to yours’ Clarke admits sheepishly but Bellamy shakes his head just as quick.

‘They’re not - they make you _you_.’

She smiles that smile that reaches Bellamy down to the depths of his soul and the butterflies take flight once more.

‘Come on’ he tries to calm himself, leading her around the counter to the coffee machine. She stands in front of him, staring at the piece of electronic equipment with a little uncertainty. He positions himself behind her, looking over her shoulder at the machine.

It throws him to have her this close, close enough to smell the lily flower scent from her hair and feel the warmth coming from her body. He’s thankful for his black, long sleeve t-shirt. At least it hides the goosebumps.

‘Okay’ he begins but his voice his shot - he needs to cough to regain some composure. ‘So, you press this button to turn it on.’

After that, Bellamy takes Clarke through the ins and outs of making the latte - from grinding the coffee beans to steaming the milk. She’s a quick learner and even does some of the steps without needing much instruction. It took a few seconds while they waited for the coffee to pour into the cup and Bellamy moved to adjust it, accidentally brushing Clarke’s hand on the way.

It was a heart stopping moment and the bizarre thing is, Clarke froze too. Bellamy’s fingers lingered too long on her skin, unable to help the pull of the attraction. It wasn’t until the machine beeped, signalling that it was ready for the next step, that Bellamy moved away to get the milk ready. She looked as disappointed as Bellamy felt from the loss of contact.

‘It doesn’t taste as good as yours’ Clarke pouts when she tastes her creation. It’s cute and it makes Bellamy grin.

‘It takes a few goes to get the knack of it.’

The artificial light is growing stronger, meaning it’s getting dark out and Clarke will have to leave soon. _Crap - he doesn’t want her to go_.

She takes another sip, warming her hands around the hot cup between her fingers. It strikes Bellamy suddenly that she’s staring - unashamed when he catches her in the act, unlike when she catches him.

‘You knew I was an Elf before I walked through that door’ she says, her voice soft in the delicate silence of the coffee shop. It’s not a question, more a statement of truth. ‘Before you seen the tags on my clothes, before I didn’t know what to order.’

Bellamy just nods, leaning back against the counter as he waits for the question he knows is coming.

‘How?’

The seconds drag like minutes before he can find his voice, before he can find the confidence to admit the truth.

‘I’ve lived in Arkadia my whole life’ he says as he looks at the floor. ‘I was raised by humans, went to school with humans, worked with humans. So, when you walked through that door, I knew you weren’t human the second I looked at you.’ He flicks his gaze back up to her to find her still watching him with an intensity that could kill him. ‘No human looks that beautiful.’

She blinks, maybe shocked at his statement and a little knocked - if the blush forming on her cheeks is anything to go by. It’s true though, she looks angelic, godlike and celestial. Bellamy is blessed to even get to look at her.

‘From what I’ve seen, I don’t think that’s true’ she replies a beat later and this time, it’s Bellamy’s turn to blush because he get’s the feeling she’s talking about him.

‘Clarke’ he croaks, his tone dropping an octave because he really wants to kiss her. He leans forward, closing the space between them a little more. The moment vanishes when the shop phone rings and they both nearly jump out of their skin. The noise is harsh against the quiet in there with them and Bellamy rushes to shut it up.

‘Hello?’ He gasps, a little out of breath from his heart doing overtime.

‘Bellamy, I meant to remind you to switch the backlight off in the store room. You keep leaving it on’ Shumway’s voice comes down the other end of the phone and Bellamy has to swallow the sigh of annoyance.

‘Yeah, got it’ he bites out, glancing over his shoulder to see Clarke putting her cup on the counter. He swings around to watch her leave, shaking his head as if silently asking her to stay. She makes a disappointed face, pointing towards the door as if telling him that she needs to go. It’s already dark out - she’s stayed too late as it is.

‘And make sure to set the alarm’ Shumway adds.

‘I will’ Bellamy mutters, waving goodbye to her as she slips out the door.

‘Check if the alley door is locked, too’ Shumway reminds him and Bellamy outwardly groans at this now. He didn’t even get to say goodbye to her properly because of his stupid boss. Closing his eyes, he slumps back against the wall where the phone is and feels the pinch in his heart.

Clarke is only gone a few seconds, but damn, he misses her already.

 

-

 

It starts to worry Bellamy when three days have gone by and he hasn’t seen the familiar blonde sauntering in through Forest Coffee Shop.

He’s a little more panicked on the fifth day.

He’s downright sick after a week.

_Where the hell is she?_

Bellamy uses his day off to wait around the coffee shop most of the morning, ignoring the eye rolls he receives from Miller and the ‘waste of a day off’ sentence he keeps muttering as he passes his friend. Bellamy can’t help it though, he needs to be here in case she shows up. It’s not like Clarke to miss time with him and he re-runs their entire conversation from a week ago over and over in his mind.

Was it something he said?

Did he make a mistake in admitting that he thought she was beautiful?

No - he was honest and it’s not a bad thing. It shouldn’t make her run for the hills, literally. Besides, she called him beautiful too, didn’t she? Oh God - he wasn’t just imagining that, was he? Maybe he pulled what he wanted from her statement.

By noon, Bellamy is pulling his hair out. _Screw this_ \- he has to go find her.

Before long, he’s reached a section of the Elven border. He and his sister used to play in the field behind his house where he could see a section of it but the invisible line was still a good distance away from them. His mother would never let them stray further than the sight of their back garden so he feels nervous standing this close to the line - his mother would kill him if she could see him right now.

The border is marked by the long row of trees, protecting the valley deep inside of them like soldiers. The forest is thick and dense, creepy looking from where he’s standing. The grey sky doesn’t really help, though - it’s been threatening to rain all day.

Maybe it’s creepy because Bellamy knows the danger lurking in there. The Elves were very clear about humans entering their home and if what Clarke has told him about their ways, they probably have spies standing guard on the entire thing.

‘Hello?’ Bellamy tries. Silence greets him, nothing but the sound of a slight breeze making the leaves of the trees shake and the beating of his own heart. He’s a little apprehensive but damn, he can’t lose her. He needs to know if she’s okay, if she made it back from his coffee shop that night. That outweighs the nerves.

He takes a tentative step and pulls himself over the border line in a swift second. He winces, expecting the worst - like some alarm would go off the second his human feet touched their territory. Except it doesn’t - nothing but silence again. Bellamy exhales, relief pouring from his lungs along with his breath.

He reckons he’s away with it - maybe they’re not that tight with security after all. He knows that’s not true though when he has taken no more than five steps into the forest and an arrow lands at his feet. His hands fly up immediately in surrender, watching as a male Elf drops from the tree above him. He’s tall - the exact height Bellamy expected Clarke to be - with long, dark hair that is pulled back at the sides. It shows off his pointy ears, a sure sign of the Elven people. He has scars on his face, marking him a warrior without Bellamy even having to ask.

What really intimates Bellamy though is the cross bow in this Elf’s fingers, another arrow pointed directly at Bellamy’s forehead.

‘Get out’ the man instructs, his voice firm and unwavering. ‘You passed the border.’

‘I know’ Bellamy tries to sound confident in his answer. They won’t listen to a babbling idiot, even though he wants to explain that he’s here because he’s worried about Clarke. ‘I’m looking for someone.’

‘Didn’t pass through here’ the man tightens his bow, threatening another shot and Bellamy figures this one won’t be at his feet. He got his warning.

‘She’s an Elf’ Bellamy says, maintaining eye contact. The male Elf loosens his grip on the bow, the arrow dipping a little.

‘I’m the Queens guard - Roan Azgeda. Believe me when I tell you, boy, no Elf crosses the border into your territory either.’

Bellamy considers this, knows he followed the trail that Clarke told him she took - yet she could have escaped the forest from a different side and made her way around. She would know which sections aren’t heavily guarded.

‘I swear, I know her. She’s my friend.’

‘Elves don’t befriend humans. What’s your real motive here?’ Roan tightens his bow again.

‘I’m telling the truth. I’m unarmed, you can search me. Her name is Clarke - Clarke Griffin!’

Roan’s brows pinch together, confusion filling his features. They then soften in what Bellamy thinks is annoyance, aggravation after a sudden realisation. He drops his bow and arrow and produces a piece of rope from his belt.

‘You want to see Clarke?’ He asks Bellamy as his eyes drop to the rope, adding up his fate in his head.

‘Yes’ he says absolutely, not really trusting this Roan guy as far as he can throw him but he has nothing else to go on right now.

‘Then turn around’ Roan instructs and for some crazy reason, Bellamy does.

 

-

 

The walk to the centre of Shallow Valley took a long time. Roan guided him through layers and layers of trees until Bellamy was convinced he was just walking in circles. A few times, he caught glimpses of Elves in the trees above, watching them. They’re everywhere.

They approached massive mountains towards the end. Roan led him through a secret tunnel hidden behind shrubbery and plantation and Bellamy realised they were inside the mountain at that point.

Now, they’re emerging through the other side of it and the sight that meets Bellamy’s eyes is unbelievable.

At the foothill of the mountains lies an entire civilisation that is completely hidden from humanity. A river flows through it, still and calm which seems to fit in with the serene, peaceful atmosphere that surrounds the place. Unlike Arkadia that is full of humans and hustle and bustle, Shallow Valley is silent.

Their homes are carved from impressive stonework with a large fortress in the centre. A hundred steps lead up to it, signalling the importance of this building to Bellamy. It’s obviously where their Queen resides. A waterfall flows softly from the top of the fortress but what strikes Bellamy the most is the mountains at the other side.

The whole place is in the centre of them, protected by the bowl of rocks that reach sky high. They’re tall and intimidating but magical looking at the same time. Sunlight creeps through a crack in them, shining down on the Elves home to make it look almost holy. The skies were grey when he left Arkadia but this little piece of heaven seems to hold all the light.

‘Wow’ Bellamy utters, the view leaving him a little breathless.

‘If you’re lying about knowing Clarke, at least this will be the last sight you see’ Roan says from behind him, pushing him forward as they walk further into the valley. Bellamy goes without a fuss, each step filling him with hope that he’s getting closer and closer to Clarke.

A long way from Forest Coffee Shop, that’s for sure.

 

-

 

‘Bellamy Blake’ the Queen addresses him.

She’s wearing long, white dress and cloak to match. Her hair is brown, braided to the side and her skin is much like Clarke’s - clear and pure. No hat hides her pointed ears, just a crown in between them that shines in the light of the sun.

They’re standing on the stone courtyard, a balcony encasing them and the quiet waterfall underneath. There are only a few guards around along with Roan, leading Bellamy to believe that no matter what he pulled, they’d have him dead much quicker.

Bellamy isn’t sure what to do - does he bow? Curtesy?

Instead, he just stays straight and waits for a question. He didn’t tell anyone where he was going today - the Elves could kill him in a second and nobody would be any the wiser. Maybe his sister and his mother would think he was dead when he didn’t come home - when they couldn’t find him. They’d grieve for him at least. Shumway would just be annoyed that he didn’t turn up for work.

‘I’m Abigail, Queen of Shallow Valley - but you already knew that.’ She takes a moment to watch him and all Bellamy can do is maintain eye contact. He has to look confident, even if he doesn’t feel it. ‘You say you know my daughter?’

Bellamy’s heart almost falls out of his stomach. _What did she just say?_

The Queen must know by his face that he wasn’t expecting that because a slight smirk appears on her face. Whatever confidence he was trying to hold just shattered like glass.

‘Yes, she’s quite the con-artist. She likes leading the subtle life, even though I’m forever urging her to step into what she was born for.’

Bellamy hears Roan huff out a breath of amusement behind him, almost like they’re all used to Clarke being defiant and rebellious. No wonder he bought Bellamy’s story so freely - it apparently needed little proof.

_Clarke - she’s the Princess?_

‘Fetch her for me, please Jackson’ the Queen beckons at one of her guards. ‘I sincerely hope you are mistaken. Our laws are very clear about human and Elf interaction, surely you are still informed about them?’

‘Yes’ Bellamy hears his voice for the first time in too long and it’s strained. Clarke can’t be the Princess.

Yet, out she strides from inside the fortress. She’s no longer wearing human clothes but instead, a pale blue, long dress like her mothers and a cloak draped over the back. Her silver crown is perfect on top of her blonde curls but her eyes are different - wide at the sight of Bellamy standing with his hands bound behind his back in the middle of her home.

‘ _Bellamy_?’

Her voice sounds as shot as his does.

‘ _Clarke_ ’ her mother scolds but her posture and expression remain as cool as ever - a practiced art of looking elegant. It’s her voice that holds the disappointment.

‘What are you _doing_?’ Clarke snaps at Roan, rushing over to reach Bellamy. Her hands land on his skin and he melts, relishing in the touch of her fingers on his face. ‘Are you okay?’ She asks, her tone much softer with him.

He’s fine - she’s fine. That’s what matters.

‘I thought something happened to you’ he whispers, searching her eyes for the emotion he’s feeling. Damn, he loves her so much.

‘I couldn’t get back, I’m sorry. I had responsibilities here that I couldn’t avoid.’

‘Our rules are absolute’ the Queen’s voice interrupts them and Clarke’s gaze snaps to her. ‘He is a human, Clarke.’

‘They are no different to us, mother’ she bites out.

‘And yet the rules stand strong all the same’ her mother retorts. ‘Not only have you been meeting with him, which I will deal with later,’ she cocks an eyebrow and Bellamy’s heart sinks further, if that’s possible. He didn’t even think about the consequences before coming in here today - he just needed to check if Clarke was alright. He didn’t think about the fact that she’d get in trouble for meeting with a human and all of that is just made ten times worse now that he knows she’s the Princess.

He imagines she should be an example to their people and that means abiding by the laws.

‘But now it’s encouraged this human-’ her mother continues.

‘Bellamy’ Clarke corrects her.

‘This _human_ ’ her mother emphasises her point, ‘to stumble into our land.’

‘Release him’ Clarke demands but Bellamy is sure it sounded more like a plea. ‘This was on me.’

For a minute, the Queen looks like she might fight her daughter on it but much to Bellamy’s surprise, Queen Abigail waves her hand at Roan to dismiss them.

‘Take him back to the border. Bellamy Blake, do not enter our home again. We will not be so lenient next time.’

Bellamy glances back over his shoulder at Clarke as he goes and she winks at him, an assurance that she will be okay. He feels his chest release in relief but hurt resides there too - what if he never sees her again?

 

-

 

Despite Roan leaving him at the border, Bellamy doesn’t go home. The rain has finally come thundering down and it’s a full on downpour. He’s soaked to the skin, his curls are flat against his head and he has to squint to see anything - but he waits anyway.

Maybe in vain, but he waits.

The evening has quickly approached and Bellamy knows he only has about an hour left before complete darkness. He’s almost given up when he hears a rustle, louder than the sound of raindrops beating off of the trees. A flash of blonde appears and then he sees her - his girl. He knew she'd come.

‘Clarke’ he breathes, rushing towards the invisible border to embrace her in a hug. She’s soaked too but he squeezes her close, feeling the way her arms tighten around his back. He tucks his nose into the crook of her neck, wishing this moment would never end. But it does, like all moments.

‘Bellamy, I’m so sorry you were taken like that’ she holds his arms as she looks at him, droplets of rain falling from her features.

‘Don’t worry, Princess. Worst things have happened to me’ he smirks. She blushes at the nickname, shoving him lightly.

‘I’m sorry I didn’t mention that, I just didn’t want you to look at me differently - more different than me being an Elf’ she laughs.

‘You could be Shallow Valley’s Commander of Death and I wouldn’t look at you any differently’ he chuckles along with her but he’s honest if nothing else - she’ll always be just Clarke to him. Their laughter fades and they look at each other in silence for a second, stretching out the inevitable. ‘What now?’ Bellamy finally asks.

‘Now’ Clarke sighs. ‘Now, we can’t see each other for a while.’

The fact he already knew hits him hard, a punch to the gut. He could barely go a week without seeing her. She cups his face, lifting it up to look at her.

‘But a while is not forever’ she manages a smile. ‘When I’m Queen, everything will be different.’

‘Different how?’

‘I’ll form a new alliance with the humans, something my mother won’t even listen to right now - but I might be able to get around her before then. Trust me, I’m quite the negotiator.’

‘Is that so?’ Bellamy manages a smirk.

‘How do you think I got out here to see you?’

Damn, this girl surprises him every day. She’s worth waiting for, no matter how long he has to hold on for. The rain just seems to come down harder, the droplets sounding like bullets hammering off the forest floor.

‘And then what? We can be friends?’ Bellamy asks, eyes darting across Clarke’s face because he’d take being friends over nothing at all. In that moment, though, Clarke moves towards him and her lips crash against his. The electricity running under Bellamy’s skin erupts into a full on lightning storm and he kisses her back like nothing else in this world matters - maybe because nothing else does.

He moves his hand to her rain soaked cheek, tracing circles with his thumb there as he gets swept up in her. Kissing Clarke Griffin is like nothing else he’s ever experienced, it’s just magical. When they break away, it’s too soon and he misses the contact already.

‘I’ll come back for you - someday’ she mumbles, her forehead resting against his one in the most intimate way. ‘And we definitely won’t be friends.’  
Bellamy manages a laugh at that but he has to tell her, has to tell her before she goes.

‘I love you.’

There - he’s said it. He doesn’t care if she doesn’t feel the same way back, he couldn’t keep that to himself anymore. Someone like Clarke deserves to know that people love her, she deserves everything good in this world and when they can finally be together, he’ll make sure he’s the one to give it all to her.

He might not deserve her - a coffee barista in love with an Elven Princess, soon to be Elven Queen? _No, definitely no_ t - but he’d make himself worthy of her - he’d work hard, he’d do anything in the world to be with her.

‘I love you, too’ she replies, a massive smile on her face. ‘Wait for me.’

‘For as long as it takes’ he promises.

‘For as long as it takes’ she agrees. When they break apart, Bellamy catches sight of Clarke’s mother in the tree line. His heart stops like they’ve been caught doing something terrible but he relaxes when he sees the softness in her expression.

‘Clarke’ she calls and Clarke whips around, just as surprised as Bellamy is to see her standing there. ‘Let’s go. We have some things to discuss.’

The Queen winks at Bellamy, much like what Clarke did earlier - an assurance. Clarke pulls away from Bellamy completely, her hand lingering against his fingers until they have to break apart because of the distance. Yet, somehow, he doesn’t feel sad.

Clarke gives him a smile before she disappears after her mother, one thats full of love and promise.

As he walks back to the coffee shop in town, he thinks that this ‘someday’ might come quicker than they expected.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. You can find me and this fic on Tumblr if you want to share it and that would just make my day :)  
> [Here's the link.](http://eyessharpweaponshot.tumblr.com/post/183895531099/i-need-that-fire-a-bellarke-fic-where-the-elves)
> 
> Here’s the link for [Chopped: The 100 Fanfic Challenge.](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/The_100_Chopped_Challenge_Round_1/works) There’s so many wonderful fics there, go give them a read.


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